Mark 2:18-22
Jesus Is Questioned About Fasting
18 The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were fasting. Then they came and said to Him, “Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?”
19 And Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast.
20 But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days.
21 No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; or else the new piece pulls away from the old, and the tear is made worse.
22 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins.”
Context
- Why did the fasting Pharisees criticize the feasting disciples? (Leviticus 16:29-34, Numbers 29:7-11, Matthew 6:16, Mark 2:15, Luke 18:12)
Reflection
- How does the bridegrooms presence called for joy & feasting? (Psalm 16:11, Matthew 2:10, Luke 2:10, John 3:29)
- When is fasting good? (Deuteronomy 9:18, Judges 20:26, 1 Samuel 14:24, Daniel 10:3, Luke 4:2, Acts 27:33)
- Why do we need new clothing, new wineskins & new wine? (John 3:3, 17-19, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Galatians 2:16)
Testimony Time
- Why do we have joy & feasting at Christmas? (Matthew 1:21, Luke 2:20, 28-30, 38, Philippians 4:4, 1 Thessalonians 5:16)
- How has He transformed my life inside and out? (John 1:12, 17, Ephesians 4:20-24, 2 Corinthians 5:17)
